Surf, punk and radio pop are finely integrated on
Pomona Lisa.
Elliot Easton from
the Cars produced this record, which should be some testament to the group's ability to conjure up instrumental pure fun and goofy songs. Sudden twists in their arrangements combines with a beach mentality, '80s awareness and total acceptance of being an American band makes the album perhaps the most fun recording of 1999. Recording and mixing engineer
Mark Linett also worked with
Tom Petty,
the Beach Boys and
Los Lobos. This veteran talent behind the album gives us the sound wanted by a young, life-is-great-and-we're-gonna-live-forever band but most often lost in inefficiencies of a basement eight-track. They freely quote radio staples, oblivious to the fact that their songs are just as good, if only consistently tongue in cheek, but with a higher level of smirkiness and jubilance. Want to feel good without that nasty morning-after feeling? Get hooked into
the Ziggens.